Civil/Criminal Law Externship Program

Civil/Criminal Law Externship Program
The Civil/Criminal Law Externship Program provides upper-division law students who meet certain requirements to receive academic credit for unpaid externships they secure with established law firms or corporate legal departments; public interest or legal services offices; or the legal department of government agencies or offices, including Administrative Law Judges. The policies and requirements of the Program are intended to ensure a high quality experience for students working under the supervision of experienced practitioners.

Each program has a faculty-taught course component in which the student must concurrently enroll with the externship units. Through these classes, students examine legal and professional issues that arise in their fieldwork, and receive an introduction to litigation preparation in anticipation of their postgraduate position. Participants are required to attend all corresponding classes, submit evaluations and weekly timesheets, and complete other assignments as given by the Professor for the Externship Programs.

Half-time (6 units) externships are permitted for work performed at a public interest or legal services offices, or the legal department of government agencies or offices, including Administrative Law Judges. Half-time externships are not permitted in law firms or corporate legal departments. All externships for credit must be in the San Francisco Bay Area, which includes the counties of San Francisco, Marin, Alameda, Contra Costa, San Mateo and Santa Clara.

Part-time (3 or 4 units) externships are permitted for work performed at a law firm, legal corporate department, public interest or legal services offices, or the legal department of government agencies or offices, including Administrative Law Judges. All externships for credit must be in the San Francisco Bay Area, which includes the counties of San Francisco, Marin, Alameda, Contra Costa, San Mateo and Santa Clara.

For Students
Minimum GPA and other academic policy requirements apply in order for your externship to be approved for academic credit. Please review the Application Packet to determine your eligibility to participate. A list of employers who have accepted USF law students as externs in the previous academic year is included.

Civil/Criminal Law Externship Application Packet (PDF)

Civil/Criminal Law Externship Application Forms Only (PDF)
Civil/Criminal Law Externship Application Forms Only(Word)

Before completing these forms, please make sure that you have reviewed all of the Policies, Requirements and Procedures in the packet referenced above.

For Supervisors/Employers
The externship must offer students substantial professional experience in a variety of tasks similar to those which a practicing attorney would perform with the agency or office. Participating in an externship should give students a broader perspective of the legal system and law practice. A more detailed description of the educational goals regarding the externships can be found in the Supervising Attorney's Agreement. To this end,

• The office or agency where the externship takes place must assign a supervising attorney to oversee the student's fieldwork and provide the law school with evaluation reports;
• The office or agency must be located in the San Francisco Bay Area, which includes the counties of San Francisco, Marin, Alameda, Contra Costa, San Mateo and Santa Clara; and
• All supervising attorneys must have been admitted to a state Bar for at least two years and be in good standing with the Bar.

Assuming that the new supervisor/employer meets the requirements above, she or he must complete a :

Request for Approval of Agency for Civil/Criminal Law Externship Program (PDF)
Request for Approval of Agency for Civil/Criminal Law Externship Program (Word)

"Approved" Status of Employers or Supervisors
Throughout the year, faculty will conduct periodic site-visits and communicate with supervisors to ensure that

1. the student is performing as expected,
2. the student is acquiring an appropriate amount and quality of skills in a professional working environment, in compliance with ABA Standards.

Depending on these visits and communications, please note that the Law School has full discretion to disapprove or inactivate a supervisor or employer from the Programs for any period of time.

Contact Information
Externship Programs Office
Kendrick Hall, Room 335
Phone: (415) 422-4467
Fax: (415) 422-4470
Email: externships@usfca.edu